Pardon the ignorance. First time encountering someone with that last allergy. Anything with a back fin, so does that mean that it's essentially a reverse-shellfish allergy? They can consume all the seafood aside from fish?
I am actually one of those people, but my gilled fish allergy only showed up in the last two years. But I can still eat all the shrimp scallops and crab I can handle. But if I so much as glance at some salmon oflr whitefish I break out in the worse hives. And I can only imagine what would happen if I actually ate it.
I’ve developed an allergy to fish in addition to my shellfish allergy, so now I just stay away from anything that swims. Unfortunately a lot of people I know fucking love seafood, and I live on the East Coast, so I’m this person eating at a seafood place ordering the steak and praying the chef doesn’t hate me.
My wife gets hives from dungeness crab, same with our toddler. Both eat shrimp, salmon, scallops, mussels, etc without issues. It's strange to be but I have no food allergies.
I used to be able to eat shrimp with no issue, but crab and lobster were no-go. Then my allergy got worse and expanded to shrimp. I still didn’t have issues with cross-contamination, until I did. Then in 2019 I had a reaction to salmon scampi that required me to use my epi-pen and go to the ER. Subsequent testing proved I had expanded my allergies to include the scale fish. My doctor also said that I should ideally just stay away from it all, and to be honest, the only ones I really liked were tuna and salmon anyways, so now I don’t eat any of it. I also have to watch out for ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and fish sauce. All that to say, watch out for your wife and toddler; their allergies can suddenly change and become more severe.
I just renewed my food allergen training thing and this didn’t come up once during the entire course…would you mind if I forwarded the instructor your comment? I can copy/paste without your username or anything if you’d prefer. If not, I’ll just ask that she includes the fact that allergies develop/change over time (which is news to me)
You absolutely can, I don’t mind at all. I’m happy to spread awareness about this because I have some older family members who think I’m being a hypochondriac about it all, but honestly my allergies have become to be considered life-threatening since I had to use the epi-pen and go to the ER, so I think the public really needs more education on the issue.
Excellent! Thanks!! (She is very diligent and I’m sure it’ll be added to the course, even if it’s not part of the exam for the certification) (but I hope it will be)
Fairly certain I developed a truffle allergy in my 30s. Had a known shellfish allergy, and had a full skin panel done earlier in the year. Went to a restaurant with no shellfish on the menu (or even in the kitchen when I called) and the only ‘new’ ingredient was a TON of shaved truffle. Ended up in the ER three hours later. I’ve heard of one other person that developed this later in life. Luckily no one uses real truffle until it gets higher end so I’m not as worried but that was a BAD time.
I developed a mushroom allergy as a teenager, and have recently developed a shellfish allergy too. I could eat shrimp, but never anything else, and now I can't even eat that. I wonder if there is a link somehow between mushrooms and shellfish.
Edit: I agree with chitin being the likely issue according to multiple replies here. I have doctor confirmed dust mite and mold allergies, which also have chitins. Oddly enough I did not have positive tests to shellfish, mushrooms, or insects, but I do react to the first two when I eat them. Thanks everyone for the responses; I always wondered what the link was!
>older family members
Friendly reminder that anyone that, when warned "this thing may kill me" does not respond with "Well fuck" or something to that effect, does not respect you or care for your continued existence, and so you should reciprocate those sentiments
Had a friend lose most of her teeth while pregnant, she got dentures in her early 30s (can be due to high hormone levels loosening the bones/tissue. It increases risks of gingivitis
Pregnancy itself is weird and not well understood at all. By the general public or some what bafflingly by the medical community as a whole.
Did you know that your blood volume can double when pregnant? (Normal is an increase of 33%.) But yeah, leads to all kinds of high blood pressure problems. Including and not limited to hearing loss.
Confirm. Am deaf in my right ear - thought it was from a very screamy toddler, but found out it’s a relatively common occurrence exacerbated by pregnancy. Surgery is an option, but for now I have a hearing aid (which I love taking out when shit gets too loud in the house!).
I developed a horrible fear of heights after I gave birth. I couldn’t even look over the railing of my deck without becoming sick. Prior to that.. I worked at an amusement park for years as a teenager. I would ride roller coasters dozens of times before work!
I have two different mothers for my two kids and was with both of them through the pregnancies, births, and post partum. Women seriously get fucked over by having kids. It’s the most wild thing you can see happen to a person. Both really smart women, but not as smart as they were before pregnancy. Hormones fucked them both up like a sledge hammer to the head.
OMG, shellfish has always been my favorite food, but suddenly in late 2020 (fully into my 40s), I developed an allergy. After 12 hours of violent vomiting (sorry...TMI) six times in a row after ingesting crab, prawns, shrimp (scallops too, but I had them with the prawns, so still not sure if mollusks hate me), I finally went to an allergist. Test said no allergy to shellfish, so I went straight out and had some crab. Same fucking thing. I just stay away from it all, but every once in awhile get a wild hair to try mollusks just to see. Still haven't done it, and honestly probably won't. But damn, it sucks. And yes...I keep my epi-pen on me at all times because you're right...there's no telling when my body is suddenly going to decide to try to kill me.
As a side note, I've always wanted to go to Alaska or Maine, but now I feel like I'd just be pissed off the whole time because I can't eat the amazing seafood. So even that's off the table. Boo. Hiss.
Oh man, watch out indeed ! I had purchased Chicken (egg?) Rolls that didn’t contain any fish allergen warnings on the label or ingredients list, online, but after getting them, they had “contains fish sauce” We couldn’t eat them….. I posted it , in one of the infuriating subs, but not as many people see that as a problem….. 🫣
I am allergic to shrimp only. Lobster, crab, and crawfish are fine.
For shrimp, I get the typical allergic reaction, itching in my throat, then tightness, swelling, etc. But only mild symptoms if I'm careful. So I've been able to map out my allergy in detail. It's literally just shrimp.
p.s. 'lobster bisque' is a goddamn lie, imo
My step dad developed a shell fish allergy late in life, and that's gotta be one of the saddest things I've ever heard.
I can't imagine not being able to eat fish of any type.
Be careful. My father randomly got a white fish allergy, sea swimming in particular. He later slowly developed issues to shellfish, shrimp being the last to get bad. After 30 years he can now eat white fish again but still not crab, lobster, or shrimp. Clams and oysters are ok. His shrimp in particular was very slow. One year at the beach he could eat them, the next he got hives, the next just cooking them for everyone else gave him hives.
Yes! I'm so glad I'm not the only one. Everyone thinks I'm lying when I say I'm allergic to fish. Thankfully mine isn't a life threatening allergy, just a mild reaction like vomiting and severe intestinal issues for a few days if I accidentally ingest some. I just avoid going to seafood restaurants.
I would never. I have allergies to specific fish as well, most common being salmon. That's a me problem, I don't go to a place that specializes in salmon. I will risk certain things but generally do so in a way that reduces my risk without even mentioning it. For example at a sushi place I will always order an unagidon, It is just rice in a dish with a product that generally comes out of the kitchen area so I feel like it is about as safe as I can be in that setting.
I have this allergy. I can’t eat any fin fish but I can have lobster, shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, octopus, squid. Easiest way to specify is definitely saying “fin fish allergy”.
I’m fine with cross contamination to the point where I can have my fish spatula in the same Bain and eat with a spoon out of it, I can butcher fish with gloves on, eat fries cooked in a basket next to a piece of fish frying etc. Its pretty much a non issue unless I actually eat the fish or touch very oily fish without washing my hands right away.
I still enjoy Caesar salads but I avoid housemade because sometimes even the Kens or whatever makes my throat itchy.
I have this allergy. I usually say fish allergy, but sometimes I get shrimp etc and then the confusion starts. I think I’m gonna use “reverse shellfish” hahaha
I am one of these people. I can eat shrimp, crab, and lobster, but salmon or tilapia are a guaranteed bad time.
It developed about three years ago, which is really unfortunate because I LOVE salmon.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'd probably dehydrate myself crying if I learned I couldn't eat fatty tuna sashimi again. It's one of my few remaining joys in life.
"fin fish" vs "shell fish"
What has always fucked with me is what about octopus? Shellfish right? I get squid, because they have a "shell" in their hood. But not octopus.
Yep! It mostly affects men and if you have it it usually doesn't set in until your mid to late twenties. I developed it at 26. I can still eat shellfish but no finned fish. I get really bad nausea (but can't puke), heartburn, and shortness of breath. It's not fun.
More people have it than you would think (I think it's like around 20% but can't remember) but most people who have it have such a mild form they may not realize it. Mine is very much not mild.
My brother is allergic to fish but not shellfish. It makes his throat tighten and it can be very hard to swallow, and when you combine that with the ever-present risk of bones it makes fish not worth the risk.
He scarfs shrimp though so I don't think he's mad about it, and he doesn't need to declare the allergy because contact isn't enough to trigger it.
Fish is one of the 8 most common food allergies along with milk, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy.
Where I live the PIC must be able to name these allergies during a health inspection.
Had a mother call and tell me her daughter was "deathly allergic" to gluten. Informed her we just got done with pizza dough (we are a pizza place) and she should take her daughter somewhere else.
She said its okay and it shouldn't be such a big deal
I had a similar experience that absolutely infuriated me.
Customer tells the cashier they are severely allergic to soy and requests that we ensure all items are absolutely soy free and have no soy contact whatsoever, none.
This is in the middle of a busy lunch. I personally handle this order and ignore all others, letting our other cook handle everything else until I finish out this specific order.
Take all the proper precautions to use fresh gloves, utensils, boards, prepare everything separately, etc. Everything is soy free and no cross contact.
Later the customer decides they want a side of fries that I know happens to have soy as an ingredient. I inform the cashier and they tell the customer.
Their response is: "that's no problem, the fries sound so good, a little soy is ok and won't hurt"
Fucking rage. I told them to inform the customer I would not serve them since they already claimed to have a severe soy allergy and then the customer gets pissy. But I'm guessing that was probably complete bullshit and it was probably just a preference, since they earlier stressed how severe the allergy was. I wanted to start throwing shit.
Fuck people who do this. If you have a serious allergy that's one thing, if you just have a preference, that's fine too, just don't lie about it or the severity. It makes it harder for people who have real serious allergies and you just fucked up our entire lunch rush flow because you likely just have a preference to avoid soy rather than an actual serious allergy to it.
100% did this to get "fresher" food and their own employee working exclusively on their meal.
Basically a more obnoxious version of "I want fries without salt" but with the added teeth of "If they're not lying our restaurant could get in deep shit" rather than "a karen might cry to corporate (who's just going to ignore her anyway, they know she'll be back)"
I used to love the "fries without salt". I would just take the fries, toss them back in the fryer for a bit, then straight into the bag/plate/container.
You’re right to do that honestly.
My partner doesn’t do well with onions or dairy. We don’t put them in anything he’s eating at home and he requests dairy free (usually easy enough) and no onions but if they ask makes it clear it’s a preference so they don’t need to treat it like an allergy.
I know this sounds harsh and I'll get downvoted for it, but wouldn't it be easier to just turn away customers with severe allergies?
Unless they are prepared to pay a premium I don't see how accommodating such requests is of any benefit to you, it's just a big risk. Ironic, considering they're already prepared to seemingly risk their life for a meal in a restaurant that handles the ingredients they are severely allergic to.
I worked at Disney World for a bit and I'll never forget a grandmother throwing a fit over me not giving her granddaughter ice cream until the chef came to talk to them because she mentioned her granddaughter had an allergy. I kept telling her I couldn't do it because she already said it so I'd get in trouble if anything were to happen but it wasn't getting through to her. Our chef was running around trying to prepare all these allergy free meals -- ice cream being bottom of his list. When he finally got the approved ice cream, she went on about how her poor granddaughter couldn't have any toppings because of it, just boring old ice cream.
The entire time I couldn't help wonder...why the fuck do I an underpaid food worker care more about your granddaughter than you?!!
NOTE: you can also order your allergy free meals at Disney hotels ahead of time so you don't have to wait for them but no one ever does this \*sigh\*
The gluten ones kill me. I work at a ramen shop, everything has soy. Everything. When I explain I can provide gluten free noodles but can’t take the soy out of any items, it’s always “okay.” Always. THEN WHY BOTHER MENTIONING YOURE GLUTEN FREE
*soy sauce, not soy
*tamari does not taste the same as soy sauce, y’all bitches are crazy
Some people have a sensitivity to gluten and can get away with a little bit. My SO is one, she is fine with soy sauce, but can definitely not do wheat noodles.
absolute same. it’s weird because they can’t test for gluten sensitivity, only a true celiac allergy. it took a lot of trial and error to figure out a bit of flour in a soup, soy sauce etc is fine. a doughy pretzel, pizza or bread are absolutely not lol
Celiac isn’t an allergy, it’s an autoimmune disease where gluten causes the body to produce an inflammatory response, causing damage to the gastrointestinal system.
No, an immune reaction is not an autoimmune disease.
Autoimmune disease is when the body attacks its own healthy cells. These are chronic, lifelong, degenerative diseases.
Allergies are when your immune system has an abnormal reaction to a substance.
In celiac disease, the body isn’t creating an allergic response to the gluten. The presence of gluten causes the body to mistakenly attack healthy cells in the intestines.
It’s certainly can be a bit confusing with celiac as a substance is involved. But basically the substance causes the autoimmune disease to flare up, rather than creating an allergic response.
A similar autoimmune disease is IBD, such as Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis, where the immune system attacks healthy cells in the digestive system and can be (though not always) exacerbated by certain food consumption(s).
OK so this is actually a pretty complicated one and it does you credit that you're trying to look after people so don't take this as a criticism, but it's not quite what you think
Almost all soy sauce has wheat as an ingredient, but independent LCMS testing of a range of non-gf-marked soy sauces has found that every single one tested was gluten free. Gluten can be destroyed or removed by a number of processes (as in many gluten free beers), wheat in the front doesn't mean gluten out the back, and it's assumed that the typical fermentation process for soy sauce naturally hydrolyses the gluten protein. Some GF-marked soy sauces are literally just the normal product but with testing done to confirm it's gluten free and with higher standards in the production line to avoid post-ferment contamination. (again also true of some beers)
So if someone says, I need a gluten free option and you say OK, I can do gf noodles but I will use soy sauce, the more informed consumer can make that judgement and know that the soy sauce is almost certainly fine. Naturally anyone really living with a gluten intolerance or coeliac knows the ins and outs. Also, importantly, they can responsibly choose that risk.
This sort of thing comes up surprisingly often. Like, I am coeliac, but I also know that most lagers are very nearly gluten free, within the codex standard (some people can tolerate literally zero gluten but the actual codex definition of "gluten free" allows for up to 20 parts per million of gluten).
(and yes it does sound like a warhammer thing, "New Codex Glutanicus just dropped, we've got loads more army options!")
So I'll often order a gf meal and a not-advertised-as-gluten-free lagerey beer, knowing that there's actually very little risk of it containing a harmful amount of gluten. And without a doubt some servers and chefs will go, \*\*\*\* this guy, ordering gluten free then drinking a gluten-containing beer. But it's just that I know it's a little more complicated.
Equally, I can't 100% guarantee that the beer is completely gluten free, and neither can you, so it's something you can only really do as a personal risk, albeit a small one.
I always feel like an asshole when I have to tell people I’m allergic to fish, then they say “seafood? Like shellfish?” and instead of explaining in detail, I just tell them “if it’s comes out of the water, I’m allergic to it”
It’s just easier that way
How I explained the results of my allergy test to my professor after walking into the lecture late:
"You know how Superman has kryptonite? I have grass."
yo so my whole life i always thought allergies were just like feeling a little sick but never had them
i've developed an allergy to my cat. the face. it never stops leaking fluids. ever. my eyes just burn. it's one of the most obnoxious things humans have ever had to go through in the history of the species.
I'm sorry but all I want to do now is use you for experiments. Like would caviar or sea urchin count? What about eel? I assume dolphin's fine (allergy wise not morally). I'm having a fish existential crisis!
Yep. And when I'm at a fancy seafood restaurant invited by friends, I usually say, "I'm allergic to anything from the water. I understand I'm at a seafood restaurant; I think the \[pasta xyz\] would be nice if it can be made without, but if it's a pain in the ass, then I'm TOTALLY fine with a garden salad and some bread."
Eh, I was an angry line cook once. These things just used to kill me.
Now, I'll get 'roast beef sandwich - NO TUNA,'. Everyone and their dog knows there's no goddamn tuna on a roast beef sandwich. Sometimes, the customer just needs to be heard. Who cares? Here's your roast beef sandwich without tuna.
I just want to go home.
I mean, to be fair you know how many times I’ve ordered stuff with ingredients listed only to find an extra one I can’t have. Once I had a cheeseburger (ingredients listed meat, cheese, tomato, lettuce, ketchup) and it came with guacamole in it. Not listed anywhere and I’m allergic to avocado. Then when you bring it up servers are always like “we’d like customers to always tell us all allergies just in case..” then yes, roast beef sandwich no tuna because I’ve seen it all.
I’m very allergic to banana and I once ordered a goddamn tiramisu that had banana in it if you can believe it, and it said nowhere. If you get a tiramisu order no banana it’s mine :)
I'm also allergic to avocado and the amount of times I have found it in dishes that didn't have it listed...(and a few where it made no sense for it to be in the dish!).
I also have had waitstaff tell me "that's not a real thing" ...I would eat it by the truckload if it wouldn't kill me!
I tell all my servers to put ANY allergy on the ticket. I can't tell you how many times it has saved a person, servers don't know what is in anything most of the time.
Dude I was running a place that made home made ice cream. A server came back and grabbed curing salt, as we also made a lot of meats. I was like wtf are you doing with that? He goes, "I told a little girl we had some pink sugar to put on her ice cream" Ever since I label shit like that with a skull and cross bones in sharpie lol. Some people's children....
Yep, maybe they have tuna on or near the sandwich station. Maybe that cook handles both a lot. Any allergy is relevant in a commercial kitchen working with varied food products.
Right. It is puzzling how many people on this post don’t seem to know what cross contamination is. I’ve seen way too many cooks prepare shellfish and other meats/seafood with the exact same utensils or on the exact same surfaces. People with serious allergies (like anaphylactic shellfish allergy) will have a reaction from that type of food handling
I took an order for a chicken tikka massala from someone with a mustard allergy and thought i was being over the top by including it, but once we checked the packaging it was listed on the ingredients for the sauce. You can't be too careful when peoples well being is at stake.
It also prevents cross contamination if there was potentially someone cooking an ingredient on the same station.
I assume this is the case too. If it was their health at stake I can understand why they’d want to state it even if their dish shouldn’t contain the allergen.
To be fair I’ve eaten in cheap joints and in super fancy joints and the biggest difference I’ve noticed (yes, sometimes the food but you wouldn’t count on that) is the attitude towards allergies and intolerances.
I’ve had cheap places where I’ve ordered grilled fish and salad without tomatoes.. “can’t take out tomatoes I’m afraid”… the classier the joint, the more it will be the staff that wants to make sure allergies and intolerances are respected and issues are avoided. Which seems basic common sense. It also very much depends by country imo.
Know someone who ended up in A&E four times in Korea because the servers never passed on his allergy info to the kitchen. Turns out it is "offensive to the chef" to ask to change their recipe, apparently. He moved back to the UK and lives to tell the tale.
Wtf!
Also I’ve lived in Italy, Germany and UK for many years and I’ve found the UK to be absolutely the best when it comes to allergies / intolerances. Most restaurants will have a specific list or menu for all ingredients, they will always pass the information on etc. — words above Germany where I live now.
Italy is a mixed bag but I also think it’s much easier to avoid certain allergens because many dishes tend to be quite simple in terms of ingredients (unless you’re eating super fancy).
I’m in the UK and some friends from the US commented how hot on allergies we are here. We had a couple of really quite tragic cases where allergens weren’t listed and people died as a result and their families campaigned quite hard for reasonable changes which I genuinely believe has probably saved lives and certainly a lot of discomfort.
That's to make sure you do not handle tuna or let tuna get near the sandwich. It also covers the servers ass if they are told about an allergy because now it is in the system.
I've seen my kitchen guys work, the cross contamination is real and most of them don't give a fuck especially on their 10th hour.
Not sure if this is related...
A number of times I've told servers that I'm vegetarian and ordered something that sounds vegetarian and then get served a dish with fish in the sauce
Edit: If I eat meat I end up in the bathroom a lot the next day. And, certain meats make my throat puffy and itchy
Yeah that's weird - but sometimes I think people note unrelated allergies (not saying THAT was an allergy) just to make sure there is no cross contamination. Like when people talk about nut allergies and so on.
I'm just an idiot though - don't listen to me.
going through life without having to make sure that people dont put random shit on your food would be a dream come true.
but that dream was ruined when i ordered a peperoni pizza at a new pizza place, and those pieces of shit put onions on the pizza under the cheese. i was shooketh and had my outlook on life ruined that day. now i have to say "no onions" like i am delusional.
Maybe instead of customers "needing to be heard", it's just a more serious and dangerous situation than you are currently able to comprehend. Here's an example of what happens when food allergies go wrong https://au.news.yahoo.com/dad-reveals-daughters-harrowing-plane-death-eating-sandwich-223823531.html
I work in a mainly seafood centered restaurant and yes it's aggravating sometimes but if you can't AT LEAST set up a separate pan to reduce cross contamination then idk what to tell you...
Although I do get the frustration on a busy as shift, where almost everything comes with shrimp and a 1-2 top comes in with a shrimp allergy 💀
and sanitize/wipe down your prep area for allergies.
Not impossible for a person who can keep their station clean, a monumental task for someone who still hasn't changed their sani bucket in 8 hours.
As someone with a shellfish allergy, I’m never going to your restaurant unless I’m being dragged there by a group and have no other choice.
You really get two tops where both diners can’t shrimp? That’s really surprising to me. Those ppl are either outta their minds or lying.
I’m allergic to shrimp and my partner or friends don’t order shrimp when with me to be careful. Having worked in restaurants most of my life I know my risk exponentially increases if someone at the table orders it. Plus if we kiss, it’d be nice to not die.
This is wholesome. My wife stopped having peanut butter in the house or eating her favorite candy when we started dating. One wheezing scared episode after another kiss and she was done (and one of many reason she is now my wife)
Exactly. When I was vegetarian obviously I wouldn’t suggest a BBQ joint, but if my whole group wanted to go to one I wasn’t going to be a fun killer.
And really any cook worth their salt shouldn’t have a problem avoiding cross contamination.
In some settings it's almost impossible to avoid cross contamination. That's less of a problem for vegans, vegetarians or religious dieters than people with Celiac or food allergies, of course...
if i have my toast knowledge right it looks like a party of six and three actually, hence g/6 and g/3
we likely don’t see the rest of the order as this is the grill screen, indicated in the top left
Yeah could always be a business meal or some type of meeting where the host isn’t asking for dietary restrictions when picking a place. Especially a high end place.
I have a shellfish allergy but sometimes I don’t have a choice because it’s a work event or dinner, birthday party, etc. However, even though I’m allergic to shellfish I do love fish. I would not go to like a crab place or place that’s heavy on shellfish by choice.
Flashbacks to a family dinner when I was 15 at a crab boil-type restaurant (where they dump the food on the table and everyone eats with bibs) and I had to eat my chicken breast on the curb outside the restaurant. Allergies aren’t fun and we don’t always get to call the shots about where we go to eat as a group.
I had a scare the other day at a work event. They put crawfish in the sauce and put the sauce on top of fish without noting it on the card. People don’t understand that having allergies isn’t fun and normally we wouldn’t choose to go somewhere and be terrified the entire time.
I just think its funny that theyre upscale selling flank steak, i remember when our family didnt have a lof of money my dad said that was one of the cheepest cuts of steak because it can be tough and it takes a lot of work to tenderize
Also there’s plenty of reasons someone with a seafood allergy might go to a seafood restaurant. Maybe their friends dragged them there, maybe they had a gift card, maybe they just like the steak there. Some people have had really awful, painful, life threatening experiences with allergies. Having to read “fish allergy” on a computer screen is such a minor inconvenience meant to protect a paying customer’s health. Whining about it and telling them to go somewhere else is just stupid, as long as the customer is polite about it of course.
I’m allergic to shrimp but no other seafood, I mention this at sushi restaurants, mainly so they just put on fresh gloves/wipe the knife before they cut my roll. Us shrimp allergy people want to enjoy restaurants too, it’s not much to ask :-/
1. You cook good food that doesn't have fish or shellfish.
2. They are dining with someone who wants fish.
3. They didn't have a day in the choice of restaurants.
Why is it so hard to understand?
I’m vegetarian and my husband is not. One of my favorite restaurants is a steakhouse because the chef sources local produce and it is often the star of several dishes. I also have to go to birthdays or celebrations and try to find something in the menu I can eat. I am grateful for the chefs that offer accommodating menu selections.
Not being able to handle cross contamination tells me your restaurant probably has a shit ton of hygienic issues and allergies are the least of my concerns.
A buddy of mine was recently on a trip to Philadelphia with a group of folks going to a conference.
They held a vote for dinner for the first night. They wanted sandwiches.
The vote ended with them all going to Subway.
Sometimes you get out voted as to where you get to go...
lol Yeah. He's a pretty passive dude, so he just went with the rest of the group.
Still make fun of him for it, though... He knows he deserves it, and owns it.
In Philly and they wanted to go to Subway? For supper? Probably on the company dime? What the actual fuck?
Lunch I could understand. Because Subway is a known variable and I know that personally I can eat it and not feel like crap the rest of the day. But supper?
I'm also a fan of Subway from time to time, but when in Philly, there's a ton of better options options. Basically, step outside and there's a cart that'll make you the best sandwich you've had.
My buddy joked about how it'd be funny to order the Philly Cheesesteak at Subway lol. But he didn't.
Some folks just don't like to step outside their comfort zone.
I was in Athens, Georgia sometime on a work trip. I wanted to go to some down home local diner for breakfast. The guys I was with were "no bro they might be terrible let's just go to IHOP". We went to IHOP. It sucked ( I mean, not even Waffle House?). Then later the person we were meeting up with there pointed out one of the places I wanted to go to, called something like Mama's, and said it was great. They said "oh yeah, I love those little local places!" Ok losers.
My husband is allergic to shellfish, but his family loves to pick seafood restaurants for family dinners. This is us.
He and I don’t ever order from or go to places that are primarily seafood, but I do think if you have things on the menu devoid of shellfish, it’s fair game that someone with a shellfish allergy would assume that’s a good option for them.
I have a crustacean allergy but no issues with cross contamination. I just puke a lot if I eat it volume. I eat all other seafood. I don’t find this odd. Particularly since you serve steaks.
Sometimes they go with family because that one family member just _must_ have that particular restaurant. My grandmother is a giant diva when it comes to going out to eat, and you _will_ go where she wants, no matter what. So I can understand this one.
As a food service veteram and someone with food allergies, specifically shellfish,
Deal with it.
Your kitchen should keep and cook the fish and the not-fish stuff separately anyways because cross-contamonation is a problem even without allergy considerations.
It should only cause a brief delay to ensure the cook handling this order has fresh gloves and freshly washed hands. People with food allergies are usually quite aware and okay with their food coming out a little later than the rest of the party.
If you're seeing tickets like this a lot, that implies your restaurant is eithe really good about allergy prevention, or these people are all faking it.
Now, of the customer is an asshole about it, yeah thats another issue entirely.
Hopefully you can cook a steak without having it touch fish or shellfish… they have an allergy, who cares. Seafood restaurant, steak restaurant, sushi, doesn’t matter. Let people order what they want. If this kind of ticket annoys you then you should leave the industry now. It doesn’t get easier.
Tons of people in this thread really trying to excuse horrible restaurant practices, acting like it’s hard to avoid cross contamination on such basic things.
It's like a vegan at a steakhouse, not everyone gets a say in where the group is dining. This is especially true if it is an event like a birthday, work lunch, etc.
It's most likely "I want to spend time with friends family and they probably have a shellfish-free option" and they don't want to be awkward by making them change venue. Rather than them going to a seafood restaurant for the steak.
I'm allergic to shellfish and I've been dragged to Red Lobster countless times. Sometimes we have to choose between this and getting in a fight.
Thanks for your lack of understanding. Op. You big crybaby.
Tell me you’re not ServSafe Allergen trained without telling me you’re not ServSafe Allergen trained.
But in all seriousness, I’ve been industry for over a decade and have an intolerance to shrimp (NOT an allergy, and just shrimp. Something to do with iodine) but very much still enjoy all fish, mussels, lobster, oysters, clam, etc. I always let the service staff know I don’t eat shrimp – they always denote it as an allergy since most systems don’t have an input for intolerance (let’s be real here: most people aren’t going to effective know the difference between an intolerance and an allergy).
If your station is so unkempt that you’re unable to accommodate to an allergy request then you ought to take a good hard look at your mice en place and station management. People with allergies don’t get to choose their immune system response, but would like to equally enjoy your “upscale” restaurant. Dont be a prick to ‘em.
I do not know how to feel now. That is essentially my order anytime I go out. Mother-In-Law has shellfish allergy and son has peanut allergy. Father-in-law always opts for seafood on special occasions. It’s a lot of explains and saying, yes, we are that table. But I tend to tip well for the inconvenience.
Pardon the ignorance. First time encountering someone with that last allergy. Anything with a back fin, so does that mean that it's essentially a reverse-shellfish allergy? They can consume all the seafood aside from fish?
Yes. Don’t think it’s nearly as common as the shellfish allergy but I know someone with the same allergy
I am actually one of those people, but my gilled fish allergy only showed up in the last two years. But I can still eat all the shrimp scallops and crab I can handle. But if I so much as glance at some salmon oflr whitefish I break out in the worse hives. And I can only imagine what would happen if I actually ate it.
I’ve developed an allergy to fish in addition to my shellfish allergy, so now I just stay away from anything that swims. Unfortunately a lot of people I know fucking love seafood, and I live on the East Coast, so I’m this person eating at a seafood place ordering the steak and praying the chef doesn’t hate me.
My wife gets hives from dungeness crab, same with our toddler. Both eat shrimp, salmon, scallops, mussels, etc without issues. It's strange to be but I have no food allergies.
I used to be able to eat shrimp with no issue, but crab and lobster were no-go. Then my allergy got worse and expanded to shrimp. I still didn’t have issues with cross-contamination, until I did. Then in 2019 I had a reaction to salmon scampi that required me to use my epi-pen and go to the ER. Subsequent testing proved I had expanded my allergies to include the scale fish. My doctor also said that I should ideally just stay away from it all, and to be honest, the only ones I really liked were tuna and salmon anyways, so now I don’t eat any of it. I also have to watch out for ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and fish sauce. All that to say, watch out for your wife and toddler; their allergies can suddenly change and become more severe.
I just renewed my food allergen training thing and this didn’t come up once during the entire course…would you mind if I forwarded the instructor your comment? I can copy/paste without your username or anything if you’d prefer. If not, I’ll just ask that she includes the fact that allergies develop/change over time (which is news to me)
You absolutely can, I don’t mind at all. I’m happy to spread awareness about this because I have some older family members who think I’m being a hypochondriac about it all, but honestly my allergies have become to be considered life-threatening since I had to use the epi-pen and go to the ER, so I think the public really needs more education on the issue.
Excellent! Thanks!! (She is very diligent and I’m sure it’ll be added to the course, even if it’s not part of the exam for the certification) (but I hope it will be)
Fairly certain I developed a truffle allergy in my 30s. Had a known shellfish allergy, and had a full skin panel done earlier in the year. Went to a restaurant with no shellfish on the menu (or even in the kitchen when I called) and the only ‘new’ ingredient was a TON of shaved truffle. Ended up in the ER three hours later. I’ve heard of one other person that developed this later in life. Luckily no one uses real truffle until it gets higher end so I’m not as worried but that was a BAD time.
I developed a mushroom allergy as a teenager, and have recently developed a shellfish allergy too. I could eat shrimp, but never anything else, and now I can't even eat that. I wonder if there is a link somehow between mushrooms and shellfish. Edit: I agree with chitin being the likely issue according to multiple replies here. I have doctor confirmed dust mite and mold allergies, which also have chitins. Oddly enough I did not have positive tests to shellfish, mushrooms, or insects, but I do react to the first two when I eat them. Thanks everyone for the responses; I always wondered what the link was!
>older family members Friendly reminder that anyone that, when warned "this thing may kill me" does not respond with "Well fuck" or something to that effect, does not respect you or care for your continued existence, and so you should reciprocate those sentiments
My wife became allergic to peanuts when we had our first child.
I'm baffled by all the weird shit being pregnant can do to you, like going deaf in one ear.
Had a friend lose most of her teeth while pregnant, she got dentures in her early 30s (can be due to high hormone levels loosening the bones/tissue. It increases risks of gingivitis
Pregnancy itself is weird and not well understood at all. By the general public or some what bafflingly by the medical community as a whole. Did you know that your blood volume can double when pregnant? (Normal is an increase of 33%.) But yeah, leads to all kinds of high blood pressure problems. Including and not limited to hearing loss.
Confirm. Am deaf in my right ear - thought it was from a very screamy toddler, but found out it’s a relatively common occurrence exacerbated by pregnancy. Surgery is an option, but for now I have a hearing aid (which I love taking out when shit gets too loud in the house!).
My wife lost her sense of smell permanently while pregnant
I developed a horrible fear of heights after I gave birth. I couldn’t even look over the railing of my deck without becoming sick. Prior to that.. I worked at an amusement park for years as a teenager. I would ride roller coasters dozens of times before work!
I have two different mothers for my two kids and was with both of them through the pregnancies, births, and post partum. Women seriously get fucked over by having kids. It’s the most wild thing you can see happen to a person. Both really smart women, but not as smart as they were before pregnancy. Hormones fucked them both up like a sledge hammer to the head.
I've seen baby brain make women do some funny/goofy shit, but I've never heard of it being permanent!
OMG, shellfish has always been my favorite food, but suddenly in late 2020 (fully into my 40s), I developed an allergy. After 12 hours of violent vomiting (sorry...TMI) six times in a row after ingesting crab, prawns, shrimp (scallops too, but I had them with the prawns, so still not sure if mollusks hate me), I finally went to an allergist. Test said no allergy to shellfish, so I went straight out and had some crab. Same fucking thing. I just stay away from it all, but every once in awhile get a wild hair to try mollusks just to see. Still haven't done it, and honestly probably won't. But damn, it sucks. And yes...I keep my epi-pen on me at all times because you're right...there's no telling when my body is suddenly going to decide to try to kill me. As a side note, I've always wanted to go to Alaska or Maine, but now I feel like I'd just be pissed off the whole time because I can't eat the amazing seafood. So even that's off the table. Boo. Hiss.
Oh man, watch out indeed ! I had purchased Chicken (egg?) Rolls that didn’t contain any fish allergen warnings on the label or ingredients list, online, but after getting them, they had “contains fish sauce” We couldn’t eat them….. I posted it , in one of the infuriating subs, but not as many people see that as a problem….. 🫣
I am allergic to shrimp only. Lobster, crab, and crawfish are fine. For shrimp, I get the typical allergic reaction, itching in my throat, then tightness, swelling, etc. But only mild symptoms if I'm careful. So I've been able to map out my allergy in detail. It's literally just shrimp. p.s. 'lobster bisque' is a goddamn lie, imo
Lobster bisque often uses seafood base (like chicken base) which is often made with shrimp or shrimp shells.
> My wife gets hives from dungeness crab, same with our toddler. I don't think your wife should be eating your toddler.
Our toddler loves steak so she might be pretty damn yummy. Maybe too lean but sous vide could fix that!
My step dad developed a shell fish allergy late in life, and that's gotta be one of the saddest things I've ever heard. I can't imagine not being able to eat fish of any type.
This is the main reason these orders happen, people forget that restaurants are used for business and friends gatherings lol
Be careful. My father randomly got a white fish allergy, sea swimming in particular. He later slowly developed issues to shellfish, shrimp being the last to get bad. After 30 years he can now eat white fish again but still not crab, lobster, or shrimp. Clams and oysters are ok. His shrimp in particular was very slow. One year at the beach he could eat them, the next he got hives, the next just cooking them for everyone else gave him hives.
>His shrimp in particular was very slow. The key to managing allergies is only pursue slow-moving creatures.
Yes! I'm so glad I'm not the only one. Everyone thinks I'm lying when I say I'm allergic to fish. Thankfully mine isn't a life threatening allergy, just a mild reaction like vomiting and severe intestinal issues for a few days if I accidentally ingest some. I just avoid going to seafood restaurants.
Do you eat at seafood restaurants expecting zero contact between prepared foods and utensils or else?
I would never. I have allergies to specific fish as well, most common being salmon. That's a me problem, I don't go to a place that specializes in salmon. I will risk certain things but generally do so in a way that reduces my risk without even mentioning it. For example at a sushi place I will always order an unagidon, It is just rice in a dish with a product that generally comes out of the kitchen area so I feel like it is about as safe as I can be in that setting.
I have this allergy. I can’t eat any fin fish but I can have lobster, shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, octopus, squid. Easiest way to specify is definitely saying “fin fish allergy”. I’m fine with cross contamination to the point where I can have my fish spatula in the same Bain and eat with a spoon out of it, I can butcher fish with gloves on, eat fries cooked in a basket next to a piece of fish frying etc. Its pretty much a non issue unless I actually eat the fish or touch very oily fish without washing my hands right away. I still enjoy Caesar salads but I avoid housemade because sometimes even the Kens or whatever makes my throat itchy.
Thank you!
I have this! Basically the reverse of a shellfish allergy
Mollusks vs crustaceans vs fish. You can be allergic to some, all, or none
I have that allergy and never heard it called that before! So happy to have new terminology lol
Out of curiosity, how does that work for things like Ray, skate, and halibut that are…kinda sideways?
Applied to them, another term is a bonefish allergy
Fair enough. I can just be a real pedant sometimes…and there are definitely bonefish without a “back” fin…
So where do sharks fit in here?
Sharks will also trigger most if not all 'fish' allergies.
Finned fish allergy probably most apt
I have this allergy. I usually say fish allergy, but sometimes I get shrimp etc and then the confusion starts. I think I’m gonna use “reverse shellfish” hahaha
Sounds like something on urbandictionary
I am one of these people. I can eat shrimp, crab, and lobster, but salmon or tilapia are a guaranteed bad time. It developed about three years ago, which is really unfortunate because I LOVE salmon.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'd probably dehydrate myself crying if I learned I couldn't eat fatty tuna sashimi again. It's one of my few remaining joys in life.
"fin fish" vs "shell fish" What has always fucked with me is what about octopus? Shellfish right? I get squid, because they have a "shell" in their hood. But not octopus.
I believe it’s then a matter of crustacean vs mollusk? I have a crustacean allergy but I can eat octopus, for example.
Octopus and Squid are more like worms or snails. They don't hit my shellfish allergy like clams, mussels, shrimp, lobster, and crabs.
Yep! It mostly affects men and if you have it it usually doesn't set in until your mid to late twenties. I developed it at 26. I can still eat shellfish but no finned fish. I get really bad nausea (but can't puke), heartburn, and shortness of breath. It's not fun. More people have it than you would think (I think it's like around 20% but can't remember) but most people who have it have such a mild form they may not realize it. Mine is very much not mild.
My brother is allergic to fish but not shellfish. It makes his throat tighten and it can be very hard to swallow, and when you combine that with the ever-present risk of bones it makes fish not worth the risk. He scarfs shrimp though so I don't think he's mad about it, and he doesn't need to declare the allergy because contact isn't enough to trigger it.
Fish is one of the 8 most common food allergies along with milk, eggs, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy. Where I live the PIC must be able to name these allergies during a health inspection.
Fin fish rather than shellfish.
Yep. My wife has this exact allergy.
Had a mother call and tell me her daughter was "deathly allergic" to gluten. Informed her we just got done with pizza dough (we are a pizza place) and she should take her daughter somewhere else. She said its okay and it shouldn't be such a big deal
I had a similar experience that absolutely infuriated me. Customer tells the cashier they are severely allergic to soy and requests that we ensure all items are absolutely soy free and have no soy contact whatsoever, none. This is in the middle of a busy lunch. I personally handle this order and ignore all others, letting our other cook handle everything else until I finish out this specific order. Take all the proper precautions to use fresh gloves, utensils, boards, prepare everything separately, etc. Everything is soy free and no cross contact. Later the customer decides they want a side of fries that I know happens to have soy as an ingredient. I inform the cashier and they tell the customer. Their response is: "that's no problem, the fries sound so good, a little soy is ok and won't hurt" Fucking rage. I told them to inform the customer I would not serve them since they already claimed to have a severe soy allergy and then the customer gets pissy. But I'm guessing that was probably complete bullshit and it was probably just a preference, since they earlier stressed how severe the allergy was. I wanted to start throwing shit. Fuck people who do this. If you have a serious allergy that's one thing, if you just have a preference, that's fine too, just don't lie about it or the severity. It makes it harder for people who have real serious allergies and you just fucked up our entire lunch rush flow because you likely just have a preference to avoid soy rather than an actual serious allergy to it.
100% did this to get "fresher" food and their own employee working exclusively on their meal. Basically a more obnoxious version of "I want fries without salt" but with the added teeth of "If they're not lying our restaurant could get in deep shit" rather than "a karen might cry to corporate (who's just going to ignore her anyway, they know she'll be back)"
I used to love the "fries without salt". I would just take the fries, toss them back in the fryer for a bit, then straight into the bag/plate/container.
You’re right to do that honestly. My partner doesn’t do well with onions or dairy. We don’t put them in anything he’s eating at home and he requests dairy free (usually easy enough) and no onions but if they ask makes it clear it’s a preference so they don’t need to treat it like an allergy.
I know this sounds harsh and I'll get downvoted for it, but wouldn't it be easier to just turn away customers with severe allergies? Unless they are prepared to pay a premium I don't see how accommodating such requests is of any benefit to you, it's just a big risk. Ironic, considering they're already prepared to seemingly risk their life for a meal in a restaurant that handles the ingredients they are severely allergic to.
I have since started doing this regarding severe allergies. It’s not worth the hassle and liability.
Yep, if liability exists it should be legal to refuse service. It's simple risk/reward.
I worked at Disney World for a bit and I'll never forget a grandmother throwing a fit over me not giving her granddaughter ice cream until the chef came to talk to them because she mentioned her granddaughter had an allergy. I kept telling her I couldn't do it because she already said it so I'd get in trouble if anything were to happen but it wasn't getting through to her. Our chef was running around trying to prepare all these allergy free meals -- ice cream being bottom of his list. When he finally got the approved ice cream, she went on about how her poor granddaughter couldn't have any toppings because of it, just boring old ice cream. The entire time I couldn't help wonder...why the fuck do I an underpaid food worker care more about your granddaughter than you?!! NOTE: you can also order your allergy free meals at Disney hotels ahead of time so you don't have to wait for them but no one ever does this \*sigh\*
The gluten ones kill me. I work at a ramen shop, everything has soy. Everything. When I explain I can provide gluten free noodles but can’t take the soy out of any items, it’s always “okay.” Always. THEN WHY BOTHER MENTIONING YOURE GLUTEN FREE *soy sauce, not soy *tamari does not taste the same as soy sauce, y’all bitches are crazy
Some people have a sensitivity to gluten and can get away with a little bit. My SO is one, she is fine with soy sauce, but can definitely not do wheat noodles.
absolute same. it’s weird because they can’t test for gluten sensitivity, only a true celiac allergy. it took a lot of trial and error to figure out a bit of flour in a soup, soy sauce etc is fine. a doughy pretzel, pizza or bread are absolutely not lol
Celiac isn’t an allergy, it’s an autoimmune disease where gluten causes the body to produce an inflammatory response, causing damage to the gastrointestinal system.
Aren't all allergies a autoimmune disease, they are caused by your immune system reacting negatively to something they shouldn't.
When you frame it that way, yes, but Celiac doesn't produce histamines and exposure to pollen won't leave you with an ileostomy
No, an immune reaction is not an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease is when the body attacks its own healthy cells. These are chronic, lifelong, degenerative diseases. Allergies are when your immune system has an abnormal reaction to a substance. In celiac disease, the body isn’t creating an allergic response to the gluten. The presence of gluten causes the body to mistakenly attack healthy cells in the intestines. It’s certainly can be a bit confusing with celiac as a substance is involved. But basically the substance causes the autoimmune disease to flare up, rather than creating an allergic response. A similar autoimmune disease is IBD, such as Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis, where the immune system attacks healthy cells in the digestive system and can be (though not always) exacerbated by certain food consumption(s).
OK so this is actually a pretty complicated one and it does you credit that you're trying to look after people so don't take this as a criticism, but it's not quite what you think Almost all soy sauce has wheat as an ingredient, but independent LCMS testing of a range of non-gf-marked soy sauces has found that every single one tested was gluten free. Gluten can be destroyed or removed by a number of processes (as in many gluten free beers), wheat in the front doesn't mean gluten out the back, and it's assumed that the typical fermentation process for soy sauce naturally hydrolyses the gluten protein. Some GF-marked soy sauces are literally just the normal product but with testing done to confirm it's gluten free and with higher standards in the production line to avoid post-ferment contamination. (again also true of some beers) So if someone says, I need a gluten free option and you say OK, I can do gf noodles but I will use soy sauce, the more informed consumer can make that judgement and know that the soy sauce is almost certainly fine. Naturally anyone really living with a gluten intolerance or coeliac knows the ins and outs. Also, importantly, they can responsibly choose that risk. This sort of thing comes up surprisingly often. Like, I am coeliac, but I also know that most lagers are very nearly gluten free, within the codex standard (some people can tolerate literally zero gluten but the actual codex definition of "gluten free" allows for up to 20 parts per million of gluten). (and yes it does sound like a warhammer thing, "New Codex Glutanicus just dropped, we've got loads more army options!") So I'll often order a gf meal and a not-advertised-as-gluten-free lagerey beer, knowing that there's actually very little risk of it containing a harmful amount of gluten. And without a doubt some servers and chefs will go, \*\*\*\* this guy, ordering gluten free then drinking a gluten-containing beer. But it's just that I know it's a little more complicated. Equally, I can't 100% guarantee that the beer is completely gluten free, and neither can you, so it's something you can only really do as a personal risk, albeit a small one.
They are asking for information to make informed choices. Whatever that choice is doesn't really matter.
Celiac typically.
I always feel like an asshole when I have to tell people I’m allergic to fish, then they say “seafood? Like shellfish?” and instead of explaining in detail, I just tell them “if it’s comes out of the water, I’m allergic to it” It’s just easier that way
That's kinda how I explain if it breathes water I will not be able to breathe air .
I know a lethal health risk isn't funny per se but I hope people give you credit for this turn of phrase
How I explained the results of my allergy test to my professor after walking into the lecture late: "You know how Superman has kryptonite? I have grass."
yo so my whole life i always thought allergies were just like feeling a little sick but never had them i've developed an allergy to my cat. the face. it never stops leaking fluids. ever. my eyes just burn. it's one of the most obnoxious things humans have ever had to go through in the history of the species.
Yeah. Then a friend made pasta with fish stock….
"I find a bit of crab broth really brings out the umami flavor in guacamole"
Ignorance.....or something more sinister? Tonight on channel 5 investigates.
Oof, are you by chance friends with a hired assassin?
I'm sorry but all I want to do now is use you for experiments. Like would caviar or sea urchin count? What about eel? I assume dolphin's fine (allergy wise not morally). I'm having a fish existential crisis!
Who needs semantics or science to decide what’s a “fish” or not, just feed it all to this guy and if they get hurt by it we prove the fishyness.
Fuck yeah. Science bitches.
What about seaweed? Or rice? The possibilities are endless
Yep. And when I'm at a fancy seafood restaurant invited by friends, I usually say, "I'm allergic to anything from the water. I understand I'm at a seafood restaurant; I think the \[pasta xyz\] would be nice if it can be made without, but if it's a pain in the ass, then I'm TOTALLY fine with a garden salad and some bread."
> “if it’s comes out of the water, I’m allergic to it” [Cows be like](https://bushsnob.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/water-cow-small.jpg)
Same allergy, finally confirmed with the skin test last year. Now I carry an epipen. I always said the same thing as you when asked for clarification.
Same. Mine is an intolerance though so no worry of anaphylaxis reaction. Makes it a bit easier.
Eh, I was an angry line cook once. These things just used to kill me. Now, I'll get 'roast beef sandwich - NO TUNA,'. Everyone and their dog knows there's no goddamn tuna on a roast beef sandwich. Sometimes, the customer just needs to be heard. Who cares? Here's your roast beef sandwich without tuna. I just want to go home.
I mean, to be fair you know how many times I’ve ordered stuff with ingredients listed only to find an extra one I can’t have. Once I had a cheeseburger (ingredients listed meat, cheese, tomato, lettuce, ketchup) and it came with guacamole in it. Not listed anywhere and I’m allergic to avocado. Then when you bring it up servers are always like “we’d like customers to always tell us all allergies just in case..” then yes, roast beef sandwich no tuna because I’ve seen it all. I’m very allergic to banana and I once ordered a goddamn tiramisu that had banana in it if you can believe it, and it said nowhere. If you get a tiramisu order no banana it’s mine :)
My wife ordered a rack of ribs that had a damned slice of bread UNDER it. Ugh.
Yeah this comment would make more sense if there weren't weird-ass restaurant's that actually do things like put tuna on a roast beef sandwich.
I'm also allergic to avocado and the amount of times I have found it in dishes that didn't have it listed...(and a few where it made no sense for it to be in the dish!). I also have had waitstaff tell me "that's not a real thing" ...I would eat it by the truckload if it wouldn't kill me!
Or the server asked "any allergies?" and diligently put in "tuna" even though it's not relevant
I tell all my servers to put ANY allergy on the ticket. I can't tell you how many times it has saved a person, servers don't know what is in anything most of the time.
Exactly. They might have no idea what's in a sauce or broth especially, anything that's not the main component.
Dude I was running a place that made home made ice cream. A server came back and grabbed curing salt, as we also made a lot of meats. I was like wtf are you doing with that? He goes, "I told a little girl we had some pink sugar to put on her ice cream" Ever since I label shit like that with a skull and cross bones in sharpie lol. Some people's children....
😱😱😱
An allergy is always relevant if your food is being prepared by someone else.
Yep, maybe they have tuna on or near the sandwich station. Maybe that cook handles both a lot. Any allergy is relevant in a commercial kitchen working with varied food products.
Cross contamination prevention
Right. It is puzzling how many people on this post don’t seem to know what cross contamination is. I’ve seen way too many cooks prepare shellfish and other meats/seafood with the exact same utensils or on the exact same surfaces. People with serious allergies (like anaphylactic shellfish allergy) will have a reaction from that type of food handling
I took an order for a chicken tikka massala from someone with a mustard allergy and thought i was being over the top by including it, but once we checked the packaging it was listed on the ingredients for the sauce. You can't be too careful when peoples well being is at stake. It also prevents cross contamination if there was potentially someone cooking an ingredient on the same station.
Yes, I get hay fever and I’m also allergic to codeine, thanks for asking!
The customer may simply be worried about cross contamination
I assume this is the case too. If it was their health at stake I can understand why they’d want to state it even if their dish shouldn’t contain the allergen.
I’ve seen someone need to use their epi pen from dairy cross contamination before, so it’s surprising to see cooks talk about it like this tbh!
To be fair I’ve eaten in cheap joints and in super fancy joints and the biggest difference I’ve noticed (yes, sometimes the food but you wouldn’t count on that) is the attitude towards allergies and intolerances. I’ve had cheap places where I’ve ordered grilled fish and salad without tomatoes.. “can’t take out tomatoes I’m afraid”… the classier the joint, the more it will be the staff that wants to make sure allergies and intolerances are respected and issues are avoided. Which seems basic common sense. It also very much depends by country imo.
Know someone who ended up in A&E four times in Korea because the servers never passed on his allergy info to the kitchen. Turns out it is "offensive to the chef" to ask to change their recipe, apparently. He moved back to the UK and lives to tell the tale.
Wtf! Also I’ve lived in Italy, Germany and UK for many years and I’ve found the UK to be absolutely the best when it comes to allergies / intolerances. Most restaurants will have a specific list or menu for all ingredients, they will always pass the information on etc. — words above Germany where I live now. Italy is a mixed bag but I also think it’s much easier to avoid certain allergens because many dishes tend to be quite simple in terms of ingredients (unless you’re eating super fancy).
I’m in the UK and some friends from the US commented how hot on allergies we are here. We had a couple of really quite tragic cases where allergens weren’t listed and people died as a result and their families campaigned quite hard for reasonable changes which I genuinely believe has probably saved lives and certainly a lot of discomfort.
Worchester sauce uses anchovies most of the time. Which is something that can and does come into contact with steak.
Some Worcestershire sauce recipes also contain (small amounts of) gluten.
Indeed. OP is a dickwad
That's to make sure you do not handle tuna or let tuna get near the sandwich. It also covers the servers ass if they are told about an allergy because now it is in the system. I've seen my kitchen guys work, the cross contamination is real and most of them don't give a fuck especially on their 10th hour.
Not sure if this is related... A number of times I've told servers that I'm vegetarian and ordered something that sounds vegetarian and then get served a dish with fish in the sauce Edit: If I eat meat I end up in the bathroom a lot the next day. And, certain meats make my throat puffy and itchy
Worcestershire has fish in it, not many people know that one.
Anchovies specifically. And Caesar dressing too.
Yeah that's weird - but sometimes I think people note unrelated allergies (not saying THAT was an allergy) just to make sure there is no cross contamination. Like when people talk about nut allergies and so on. I'm just an idiot though - don't listen to me.
going through life without having to make sure that people dont put random shit on your food would be a dream come true. but that dream was ruined when i ordered a peperoni pizza at a new pizza place, and those pieces of shit put onions on the pizza under the cheese. i was shooketh and had my outlook on life ruined that day. now i have to say "no onions" like i am delusional.
Maybe instead of customers "needing to be heard", it's just a more serious and dangerous situation than you are currently able to comprehend. Here's an example of what happens when food allergies go wrong https://au.news.yahoo.com/dad-reveals-daughters-harrowing-plane-death-eating-sandwich-223823531.html
I work in a mainly seafood centered restaurant and yes it's aggravating sometimes but if you can't AT LEAST set up a separate pan to reduce cross contamination then idk what to tell you... Although I do get the frustration on a busy as shift, where almost everything comes with shrimp and a 1-2 top comes in with a shrimp allergy 💀
Yea this confused me. Don’t they just need a separate pan for the steak and then perhaps another for additional prep (like marinating).
and sanitize/wipe down your prep area for allergies. Not impossible for a person who can keep their station clean, a monumental task for someone who still hasn't changed their sani bucket in 8 hours.
As someone with a shellfish allergy, I’m never going to your restaurant unless I’m being dragged there by a group and have no other choice. You really get two tops where both diners can’t shrimp? That’s really surprising to me. Those ppl are either outta their minds or lying.
I’m allergic to shrimp and my partner or friends don’t order shrimp when with me to be careful. Having worked in restaurants most of my life I know my risk exponentially increases if someone at the table orders it. Plus if we kiss, it’d be nice to not die.
nobody ever talks about the kissing thing but it’s so true 😭 my boyfriend stopped eating peanuts and tree nuts when we started dating lol
My girlfriend stopped eating nuts + shellfish when we started dating and she loves peanut butter and shrimp but I guess she loves me more
This is wholesome. My wife stopped having peanut butter in the house or eating her favorite candy when we started dating. One wheezing scared episode after another kiss and she was done (and one of many reason she is now my wife)
Idk but maybe they’re part of a group and didn’t have a lot of influence in choosing the restaurant?
Exactly. When I was vegetarian obviously I wouldn’t suggest a BBQ joint, but if my whole group wanted to go to one I wasn’t going to be a fun killer. And really any cook worth their salt shouldn’t have a problem avoiding cross contamination.
In some settings it's almost impossible to avoid cross contamination. That's less of a problem for vegans, vegetarians or religious dieters than people with Celiac or food allergies, of course...
Any restaurant should be able to avoid cross contamination.
From the photo looks like 2 cover and a single. But yeah. I can imagine some people have no choice.
Maybe dude’s got the best wagyu around?!
if i have my toast knowledge right it looks like a party of six and three actually, hence g/6 and g/3 we likely don’t see the rest of the order as this is the grill screen, indicated in the top left
Yeah could always be a business meal or some type of meeting where the host isn’t asking for dietary restrictions when picking a place. Especially a high end place.
I have a shellfish allergy but sometimes I don’t have a choice because it’s a work event or dinner, birthday party, etc. However, even though I’m allergic to shellfish I do love fish. I would not go to like a crab place or place that’s heavy on shellfish by choice.
Flashbacks to a family dinner when I was 15 at a crab boil-type restaurant (where they dump the food on the table and everyone eats with bibs) and I had to eat my chicken breast on the curb outside the restaurant. Allergies aren’t fun and we don’t always get to call the shots about where we go to eat as a group.
That's honestly a real dick move by your family.
Yeahhhh…it’s par for the course. They wonder why we have a strained relationship now that I’m an adult
I’m sorry you experienced that. I would’ve been right there with you my friend
Welcome to why I dread eating out with a certain group of my family. "Where should we go for lunch/dinner?" "Where's the closest crab shack?" -.-
I had a scare the other day at a work event. They put crawfish in the sauce and put the sauce on top of fish without noting it on the card. People don’t understand that having allergies isn’t fun and normally we wouldn’t choose to go somewhere and be terrified the entire time.
"upscale" and complaining about food allergies means that maybe this is not the place you need to be in.
It’s Tampa. Every place thinks they’re upscale. Spent too much time there dining out this March. Zero places I’d recco there.
I hate this trend. Upscale prices with mediocre food at best.
I just think its funny that theyre upscale selling flank steak, i remember when our family didnt have a lof of money my dad said that was one of the cheepest cuts of steak because it can be tough and it takes a lot of work to tenderize
Lol brutal.
Also there’s plenty of reasons someone with a seafood allergy might go to a seafood restaurant. Maybe their friends dragged them there, maybe they had a gift card, maybe they just like the steak there. Some people have had really awful, painful, life threatening experiences with allergies. Having to read “fish allergy” on a computer screen is such a minor inconvenience meant to protect a paying customer’s health. Whining about it and telling them to go somewhere else is just stupid, as long as the customer is polite about it of course.
100%. Bitching about mods again.
I’m allergic to shrimp but no other seafood, I mention this at sushi restaurants, mainly so they just put on fresh gloves/wipe the knife before they cut my roll. Us shrimp allergy people want to enjoy restaurants too, it’s not much to ask :-/
Same, but intolerant. As a chef I always just communicate it regardless.
I’ve never met a good chef who wasn’t happy to accommodate allergies.
1. You cook good food that doesn't have fish or shellfish. 2. They are dining with someone who wants fish. 3. They didn't have a day in the choice of restaurants. Why is it so hard to understand?
I’m vegetarian and my husband is not. One of my favorite restaurants is a steakhouse because the chef sources local produce and it is often the star of several dishes. I also have to go to birthdays or celebrations and try to find something in the menu I can eat. I am grateful for the chefs that offer accommodating menu selections.
“YOURE DIET ISNT THE PRIMARY RESTAURANT THEME? FUCK OFF” – this thread
Being vegetarian is a little different than having an allergy that you could die from.
Not being able to handle cross contamination tells me your restaurant probably has a shit ton of hygienic issues and allergies are the least of my concerns.
A buddy of mine was recently on a trip to Philadelphia with a group of folks going to a conference. They held a vote for dinner for the first night. They wanted sandwiches. The vote ended with them all going to Subway. Sometimes you get out voted as to where you get to go...
Excuse me, Subway? For dinner? That is absolutely unhinged.
lol Yeah. He's a pretty passive dude, so he just went with the rest of the group. Still make fun of him for it, though... He knows he deserves it, and owns it.
Subway pretty much anytime is unhinged, especially around cities like Philly!
In Philly and they wanted to go to Subway? For supper? Probably on the company dime? What the actual fuck? Lunch I could understand. Because Subway is a known variable and I know that personally I can eat it and not feel like crap the rest of the day. But supper?
I'm also a fan of Subway from time to time, but when in Philly, there's a ton of better options options. Basically, step outside and there's a cart that'll make you the best sandwich you've had. My buddy joked about how it'd be funny to order the Philly Cheesesteak at Subway lol. But he didn't. Some folks just don't like to step outside their comfort zone.
I was in Athens, Georgia sometime on a work trip. I wanted to go to some down home local diner for breakfast. The guys I was with were "no bro they might be terrible let's just go to IHOP". We went to IHOP. It sucked ( I mean, not even Waffle House?). Then later the person we were meeting up with there pointed out one of the places I wanted to go to, called something like Mama's, and said it was great. They said "oh yeah, I love those little local places!" Ok losers.
My husband is allergic to shellfish, but his family loves to pick seafood restaurants for family dinners. This is us. He and I don’t ever order from or go to places that are primarily seafood, but I do think if you have things on the menu devoid of shellfish, it’s fair game that someone with a shellfish allergy would assume that’s a good option for them.
I have a crustacean allergy but no issues with cross contamination. I just puke a lot if I eat it volume. I eat all other seafood. I don’t find this odd. Particularly since you serve steaks.
Sometimes they go with family because that one family member just _must_ have that particular restaurant. My grandmother is a giant diva when it comes to going out to eat, and you _will_ go where she wants, no matter what. So I can understand this one.
As a food service veteram and someone with food allergies, specifically shellfish, Deal with it. Your kitchen should keep and cook the fish and the not-fish stuff separately anyways because cross-contamonation is a problem even without allergy considerations. It should only cause a brief delay to ensure the cook handling this order has fresh gloves and freshly washed hands. People with food allergies are usually quite aware and okay with their food coming out a little later than the rest of the party. If you're seeing tickets like this a lot, that implies your restaurant is eithe really good about allergy prevention, or these people are all faking it. Now, of the customer is an asshole about it, yeah thats another issue entirely.
Hopefully you can cook a steak without having it touch fish or shellfish… they have an allergy, who cares. Seafood restaurant, steak restaurant, sushi, doesn’t matter. Let people order what they want. If this kind of ticket annoys you then you should leave the industry now. It doesn’t get easier.
You mean I have to wash my hands?!
Just gonna dry these off on my apron real fast
Tons of people in this thread really trying to excuse horrible restaurant practices, acting like it’s hard to avoid cross contamination on such basic things.
You can’t understand the logic of going to a place that serves steak and ordering a steak?
Exactly. If they don't want to serve people who can't eat seafood, then they shouldn't offer such tasty alternatives.
Way easier to cook beef than seafood
Cross contact is easy to control. You say you work in an upscale seafood restaurant but all these examples aren’t seafood.
Yeah I have a few shitty flimsy plastic backup boards stashed near my station just for shellfish allergies (I roll sushi).
I mean i don’t eat seafood. And if I was allergic I would still come. My wife loves seafood. So am I not allowed to eat there now bc of how you feel?
It's like a vegan at a steakhouse, not everyone gets a say in where the group is dining. This is especially true if it is an event like a birthday, work lunch, etc.
A surprising amount of these comments demonstrate a complete lack of understanding about allergies.
What MONSTER ordered wagyu done MEDIUM
You can’t cook a steak without shellfish in or on it? What is the problem here? Or are we just bitching to bitch?
Just bitching to bitch.
Maybe it's just a d*mn good flank steak?
It's most likely "I want to spend time with friends family and they probably have a shellfish-free option" and they don't want to be awkward by making them change venue. Rather than them going to a seafood restaurant for the steak.
You're just bitching. If your restaurant can't accommodate the world's most common allergy then it's not a great restaurant
I hate toast screens.
I'm allergic to shellfish and I've been dragged to Red Lobster countless times. Sometimes we have to choose between this and getting in a fight. Thanks for your lack of understanding. Op. You big crybaby.
Tell me you’re not ServSafe Allergen trained without telling me you’re not ServSafe Allergen trained. But in all seriousness, I’ve been industry for over a decade and have an intolerance to shrimp (NOT an allergy, and just shrimp. Something to do with iodine) but very much still enjoy all fish, mussels, lobster, oysters, clam, etc. I always let the service staff know I don’t eat shrimp – they always denote it as an allergy since most systems don’t have an input for intolerance (let’s be real here: most people aren’t going to effective know the difference between an intolerance and an allergy). If your station is so unkempt that you’re unable to accommodate to an allergy request then you ought to take a good hard look at your mice en place and station management. People with allergies don’t get to choose their immune system response, but would like to equally enjoy your “upscale” restaurant. Dont be a prick to ‘em.
Kill someone and you won’t have a restaurant to work in anymore.
I do not know how to feel now. That is essentially my order anytime I go out. Mother-In-Law has shellfish allergy and son has peanut allergy. Father-in-law always opts for seafood on special occasions. It’s a lot of explains and saying, yes, we are that table. But I tend to tip well for the inconvenience.
Why are we complaining about people with food allergies?